1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a bearing assembly and more particularly to a bearing assembly having particular utility in existing conventional pump housings permitting a lubricant reservoir to be formed about the drive shaft sealed from high pressure fluids passing through the pump.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Fluid pumps and particularly submersible high pressure turbine pumps of the type used in water wells are subject to constant abrasion from particulate matter borne by the fluids passing through the pump at high pressure. This problem is particularly acute at the bearing surfaces where sand and the like penetrate over a relatively short period of use. Where such penetration occurs, the high speeds of rotation cause very rapid wearing of the engaged metal surfaces thereby destroying the pump over a relatively short period of operation unless repaired. Since repair of the submersed portions of such pumps is extremely expensive and renders the pump unusable for protracted periods, frequent repair creates considerable hardship.
Most prior art bearing construction calls simply for the use of engaged metal surfaces and a variety of types of seals in an effort to prevent the influx of such particulate matter. As noted, such construction has not been found successfully to preclude rapid destruction of the engaged surfaces particularly in wells having a high sand content.
The Horan, Jr. et al. U.S. Pat. No. 3,104,918 discloses a shaft sealing means for turbine type pumps and the like which is directed toward solving these problems by providing a lubricant reservoir in the pump housing to provide lubrication for the bearing surfaces so as to minimize such wearing of the engaged metal surfaces. While this form of construction has been found useful in such applications, it is disadvantageous in that the device requires that the pump housing be manufactured with a reservoir and seals. Thus existing pump housings are incapable of using the device of this invention. Since most pumps presently in use do not have this form of construction, it is inapplicable to them.
Therefore, it has long been known that it would be desirable to have a bearing assembly which is capable of use in existing as well as new fluid pumps to form a lubricant reservoir within the pump and about the drive shaft sealed from high pressure fluids and capable of vastly extending the lives of fluid pumps even in applications where fluids passing through the pump have a high content of particulate matter.